Pressure relief valve assembly



Oct. 20, 1953 B, z cl-l 2,655,935

PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 26, 1946 C5 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 20, 1953 B, KINZBACH 2,655,935

- PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 26, 1946 "5 Sheets-Sheet 2 awe/whom 102mm? i" Oct. 20, 1953 KlNZBACH 2,655,935

PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 26, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 lb Q Q firm A. $713 Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES eaTENT OFFICE PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE ASSEMBLY Robert B. Kinzbach, Houston, Tex.

Application December 26, 1946, Serial No. 718,313

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a pressure relief valve assembly.

An object of the present invention is to provide a relief valve, specially designed for pumps wherein the pressure resisting the opening movement of the valve decreases as the valve moves toward open position and increases as the valve moves toward closed position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a relief valve assembly which includes a valve and a yieldable means acting against the valve which is of such construction that the pressure thereof resisting the opening of the valve will decrease substantially in proportion to the decrease in the fluid pressure against the valve and on closing movement of the valve the pressure will increase with the closing movement of the valve.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a valve assembly of the character described wherein the valve will move quickly to fully open or fully closed position without hesitation or vibration in intermediate positions.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a relief valve specially designed for high stage pumps in a compounded arrangement so that the high stage pump relief will be in harmony with the pressure differential across the high stage pump only.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a valve assembly wherein the valve will move instantaneously from fully closed to fully opened position upon the application of pre-determined pressure against the valve to open it.

With the above and other objects in view the.

invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the assembly, partly in section.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a diagrainmatical view of a compounded pump arrangement showing the relief valve incorporated therein, and

Figure 7 is a side view, partly in section, of another embodiment of the invention,

Referring now more particularly to the draw ings, wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates the valve body which is provided with an inlet port 2 and an outlet port 3.

In the present illustration there is an inlet line 4 through which pressure fluid is delivered to the inlet 2 and a discharge line 5 leading from the outlet 3.

The interior of the valve body is shown as being cylindrical in shape and fitted within it there is the valve cage 50. which is slitted opposite the outlet 3 and the inside of the valve body, opposite the slitted portion of the cage, is formed with an .7; annular channel 6 which merges into said outlet.

The inlet end of the body is internally reduced in diameter forming an annular shoulder l and suitable packing such as an O-ring 8, is located between said shoulder and the opposing end of the cage 5a. The end of the cage 5a, opposite the shoulder 1 has a loose fit with the body, to permit leakage from the inlet port 2 into the annular channel 6 for a purpose to be hereinafter stated.

Said cage may also have an external annular groove 9 to receive packing, such as an O-ring Ill, to form a seal between the cage and the valve body on the opposite side of the channel 6 from the seal 8.

There is a body cap [I fitted, and suitably secured to, the end of the body opposite the inlet end thereof. This cap may be secured to the body in any preferred manner as by the bolts I2.

There is a tubular housing l4, one end of which is provided with spaced legs It. The free ends of these legs are outwardly thickened forming flanges which are clamped between the body cap ll and the adjacent end of the body and countersunk into said cap and also countersunk into the adjacent end of the body and cage Be there are the filger blocks I5 which are fitted between said legs I Working in the valve cage there is a hollow piston-type valve l6 which works through the packing ring 8 when the valve is in closed position, that is in position to close the discharge line leading from the valve body. On the opposite side of the annular channel 6 there is a packing, preferably an O-ring I1, which is seated in an internal annular groove Ila in the valve cage and which surrounds the valve and forms a fluid tight joint therewith. Upon opening movement of the valve l6 leakage will be permitted, ast the 0- ring 8, and past the adjacent end of the cage 5a into the channel 6 so as to balance the pressures on opposite sides of the O-ring 8 to prevent it from becoming unseated from the seat. In other words, as the valve It moves past the O-ring 8 toward its open position fluid will leak through the annular space between said valve and the corresponding end of the cage 5a. Due to the pressure drop at this point of leakage the O-ring 8 will be drawn toward this point to efiect a seal and upon continued movement of the valve toward open position there would be a tendency to displace said O-ring from its seat between the shoulder 1 and the opposing end of the cage 5a. However, leakage channels between the cage 50. and the body I and leading from the port 2 into the annular channel 6 would create a similar con.- dition at this, the outer side of said O-ring 8 which would balance the inward and upward pull incident to said pressure drop above. referred to. Consequently a restraining force is applied to prevent the unseating of the O-ring 8'. from its seat.

Outstanding from the. valve it there. is a: tubular stem it: which worksaxially'throllgh thehous ing I4 In the form illustrated in Figure. 1, there. is. shown a suitable compensating piston [Q attached to the outer end of the stem I 8 and; which works in the low stage cylinder 20 provided with the inlet line 2|. This piston, under some, working. conditions of the valve assembly, may bed-1% pensed with as will be hereinafter explained.v

This cylinder may be screwed into,. or otherwise securedto, the outer end of the housingv i4. and: clamped between the inner end. of said cylinder and an internal annular shoulder 22 in the he ls ing hi there is shown anoutwardly expansible; detention sleeve 23 through which. the stem l8 works axially.

This detention sleeve has; the spaced longl tudinal slits thus providing-for its expansion. It. is. also provided. with the: inside outwardly inwardly facing shoulders 24 and 25 arranged. approximately midway between. the ends thereof. and the stem [8 has. the spaced external shoulders 26 and 21, said shoulder 26 being arranged. to engage the shoulders 25 to detain the valve close osition and the shoulder 21' being ar ranged to engage the shoulders 24 to detain the valve in open position. While the detention sleeve is shown and described it is to be understood that it is not indispensible and the assembly will operate successfully without it.

Screwed onto the outer end of the.- housihg L4? there is an adjusting nut 28 and on the. stem l8 adjacent the valve I6 there are the radial lugs 29 and around these lugs and countersunk there in there is an annular spring led e 36.

Yieldable means is provided to normally hold the valve closed but to yield to allow the valve to open when the pressure of the high stage pump exceeds a predetermined limit. The yields able means referred to is of such construction that as the valve opens the resisting pressure decreases substantially in proportion to the decrease in the fluid pressure against the valve and as the valve moves toward closed position the actuating force of said means increases with the closing movement of the valve. As a result the valve moves rapidly to fully open or to fully closed position without hesitation or vibration while in intermediate position.

As illustrated there is a series .of annularouter spring retainers 3| and a series of annular inner retainers 32 arranged in staggered relation with respect to the retainers 3|, all arranged around the housing I 4.

The retainers 3| have the inside annular ribs 33 intermediate their ends and the inner retainers have the external annular ribs 34 intermediate their ends.

Within each outer retainer 3| there are the outer and inner series of nested plate-like springs 35 and 36, one series diverging inwardly with respect to the other series. They are arranged on opposite sides of the corresponding inside ribs 33 with their outer margins; fitting against the outer spring retainers 31 and with their inner margins resting against the corresponding inner retainers 32 on opposite sides of the ribs 3d of the inner retaineta. excepting the extreme outer series of springs 35 rest against the nut 28 and the extreme inner-series of springs 36 rest against the the ledge; 30,-. plate-like springs of these series are of a slightly irusto-conical form. It is to-be noted that the ends of the retainers 32 extend beyond the corresponding series of springs 35:..135 rest against them so that s i r tainers 32 will contact before the series of nested plated-its sp ngs 3.5. .36 come nto P rallel relation.

Reignin to; Figure. 6 ther is shown. a l w stage pump 3 hav ng intake p e 38 and a discha ge pipe 39. Connecte int h pipe 39 there is a pressure relief valve assembly-for re: lieviua the low stag pump an subs antial y similarto that h reinabov desc ibed exceptin that its outer e d i closed and. ts d c ge l ne 5c is pen t the atmosph re a d he piston 9 omitted.

The. d sc arge nine 3 of. low stage pump forms the int ke line. at the h gh stage pum 4| and the oumn l! as a discharge l n in o which. the valve i let lin 4' is con ec ed he line 2| which is connected,v at one end, into the low stage. cylinder is connected. at its other end, the l w ta e pump d char e ine Du 11sthe. normal opera on 1? the pump 3.1. 4!. the relief valve is wi l rema n dosed- Should the p ess e di-ii ential between the et n and stag -pump e ceed a xee s pre sur ag i s he valv 116. and its stein. it w ll cause xpan ion of the detention sleeve 23 allowing th sh lder 26 to pass by the oppos 55 houl er 25 and th construction of the spr g assembly, as herein desc ibed. is such that its r sistanc to the val movement will dec eas substan al y, n pr per, tion to the dec ease of. th pressure again t the valve is thus allowing the valve to qu ckl open.- In v ew of the fact. that. the suction pr ssure of the high stage pump thro gh h line .Zl s combined with the applied. p essure he pr n s o balance the dischar e p ess e of: said p mp this hi h sta e pump will be ......eved, at a predeten mined vdiff.-e ential pressure applied hrou h the springs.

When the valve .16 reache its fully opened position the shoulder 2'! of the valve stem I3 will engage the shoulder 24 of the detention sleeve 23 thus detaining the valve l 6 in open position.

Upon a reduction of the pressure of the liquid discharged by the high stage pump the spring assembly, hereinabove described, assisted by the pressure of the fluid in the low stage cylinder 20 willovercome the resistance of detention sleeve 23 and return the valve I 6 toward closed position and the actuating force of said spring assembly will increase thus causing a quick movement of the valve to fully closed position.

It'is to be understood that the form of the spring assembly, for controlling the movements assesses of the valve, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, is illustrative merely and that any type of valve controlling means wherein the pressure against the valve decreases approximately in proportion to the decrease in the fluid pressure against the valve, upon opening movement of the valve, and which increases with the closing movement of the valve, may be employed. For example, as illustrated in Figure 7, splined onto the housing I4 there is a hood-like spring cover 43 which abuts the inner end of the adjusting nut 280, which is threaded onto the outer end of the housing M. In this form of the invention the detention sleeve 23 is dispensed with and the outer end of the stem 18 fits closely within the housing [4 and is sealed therewith by means of the seal rings 44.

Mounted on the stem Hi there is a ring 41 which is provided with spaced lugs 45a therearound and the downwardly turned rim of the spring cover 43 is provided with lugs 45 arranged opposite the lugs 45a. As illustrated there are four pairs of these lugs spaced a uniform distance apart.

Pivotally connected to the respective lugs 45 there are the inwardly extending pins 46 and pivotally connected to the lugs 450, there are the pins 48 and mounted on the adjacent ends of these pins 46, 48 are the cup shaped spring perches 49 and 50, respectively, which are spaced apart. The remote ends of these spring perches are provided with the outwardly extending annular flanges 5| and 52 and between these flanges, of each pair, and surrounding the spring perches are the strong coil compression spring 53. The ring 41 is pinned to the stem l8 by suitable dowel pin, as 54.

In other respects the embodiment of the relief valve assembly, illustrated in Figure '7, is the same a that shown in Figure 1, and the operation of the two forms of the assembly is substantially the same.

The drawings and description are illustrative merely while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A relief valve assembly comprising, a body having an inside annular packing groove and also a pressure fluid inlet and outlet, a cage fitted into the body and arranged to form one side of said groove, said cage having egress ports to permit the passage of fluid to the outlet, a valve mounted in the body, a packing ring in the groove and in sealed engagement with the valve, when the valve is in one position, said cage forming with said body a leakage passageway leading from said groove into said outlet for causing the fluid to retain the packing ring within the body when the valve moves out of sealed engagement with the ring.

2. A pressure relief valve assembly comprising, a body having a fluid pressure inlet and outlet, a valve slidably mounted the body, a main packing element between the valve and body, a valve restraining mechanism adjustable for valve opening pressure and so constructed that the restraining pressure of said mechanism on the valve will decrease progressively as the valve moves toward open position and will increase progressively as the valve moves toward closed position said restraining mechanism including yieldable means arranged in angular relation to the axial line of movement of the valve, and detention means mounted on the body and releasably engageable with the valve to detain the valve in closed position, said detention means being releasable upon initial opening movement of the valve to reduce the force opposing opening movement of the valve.

3. A pressure relief valve assembly comprising, a body having a pressure fluid inlet and outlet, a valve mounted in the body to control said inlet and outlet, a main packing element in the body arranged to seal about the valve, when the valve is in one position, a valve restraining mechanism including yieldable means extending radially from the body in angular relation to the line of axial movement of the valve and arranged to hold the valve in closed position within said body but constructed to allow the valve to open upon application of a predetermined fluid pressure to the valve through the inlet opening said valve restraining mechanism being efiective to resist movement of the valve toward open position with a progressively decreasing restraining force, and detention means mounted on the body and releasably engageable with the valve to detain the valve in closed position, said detention means being releasable upon initial opening movement of the valve to reduce the force opposing opening movement of the valve.

4. A pressure relief valve assembly comprising, a valve body having an inside annular packing groove and also having a fluid pressure inlet opening and a fluid pressure outlet opening, a cage fitted into the body and arranged to form one side of said groove said cage having egress ports to permit the passage of fluid to the outlet opening, a valve mounted in said body, means for positively limiting the movement of the valve within the body, a main packing element in said groove for forming a seal between the body and valve, said cage forming with said body a passageway leading from said groove into said outlet opening for allowing leakage of fluid past said element upon inward displacement of the element whereby points of low pressure are created by said leakage to cause the packing element to be restrained within the groove as the valve moves out of engagement with said element.

5. A pressure relief valve assembly comprising, a body having a pressure fluid inlet and a pressure fluid outlet, a valve mounted within the body said body having an annular packing groove, a cage fitted into the body and arranged to form one side of said groove said cage having egress ports to permit the passage of fluid to the outlet port, auxiliary packing elements on the cage arranged to prevent leakage of fluid past the cage and body, yieldable elements arranged to be deflected by the pressure of the fluid entering the inlet against the valve and of such construction that the resistance thereof will decrease as the deflection thereof increases throughout its range of travel said yieldable means being mounted to maintain the valve in closed position but to allow the valve to open when the pressure of the fluid entering the inlet exceeds a predetermined pressure and means for varying the resistance of said yieldable means.

6. A pressure relief valve assembly comprising, a body having a pressure fluid inlet port and a pressure fluid outlet port, a valve mounted in the body, means for limiting the valve movement, a main packing element in the body on one side of said ports in sealing relation with the valve when the valve is in closed position, means eflective to prevent leakage past the valve on the other side of said ports, a spring assembly composed of separate units arranged in angular relation to the axial line of movement of the valve and means connected with the body and the valve, respectively, ;for containing said units said containing means being adjustable to apply compression to saidunits whereby additional compression applied by the movement of .the valve toward open position will encounter a decreasing resistance from-said springs means for confining the total deflection to a predetermined range of sprin characteristics-and detention means in said containing means and releasably engageab-le with'the valve for detaining the valve in closed position, said detention means being releasable upon initial opening movement of the valve to cause a drop in the force opposing opening movement of the valve.

*7. A pressure relief valve assembly comprising, a body havingan inlet port and an outlet port, a valve mounted within the body, means for limiting the range of movement of the valve, a main packing element forming a seal between the valve and body when the valve is in position to close said inlet, spring means arranged to oppose opening movement of the valve in response to fluid pressure through the inlet, said spring means being effective to offer a variable restraining pressure commensurate with said spring means characteristics as the valve changes position in said body, means for applying the pressure of -a fluid to a predetermined area to oppose the pressure exerted through the inlet against the valve and effective to augment the pressure of the spring means which tends to hold the valve closed.

8. A relief valve assembly comprising, a body having an inlet and an outlet, a valve mounted within said body, means for limiting the movement of said valve, a main packing element arranged to seal between the valve and body when the valve is closed, yieldable means arranged in angular relation to the axial line of movement of the valve opposing opening movement of the valve and detention means detaining opening movement of the valve but releasable upon initial movement of the valve to decrease the restraining force opposing the valve movement.

9. A relief valve assembly comprising, a body having an inlet port and a relief port, a valve mounted in the body and movable to positions to close or open said ports, means including a series of yieldable elements arranged in angular relation to the axial line of movement of the valve and normally holding the valve closed but yieldable to allow, with progressively decreasing resistance, the opening of the valve under the influence of the pressure of fluid through the inlet port said means being operable to apply a progressively increasing force to the valve as the valve moves toward closed position, and detention means mounted on the body and releasably engageable with the valve to detain the valve in closed position, said detention means being releasable upon initial opening movement of the valve to reduce the force opposing opening movement of the valve.

10. A relief valve assembly comprising, a body having an inlet port and a relief port, a valve mounted in the body and movable to positions to close or open said ports, means including a series of yieldable elements arranged in angular relation to the axial line of movement of the valve and normally holding the valve closed but yieldable to allow, with progressively decreasing resistance, the opening of the valve under the influence of the pressure of fluid through the inlet port said mean being operable to apply a progressively increasing force to the valve asthe valve moves toward closed position and lmeans for limiting the range of valve movementanddetention means mounted on the body and releasably engageable with the valve to detain the valve in closed position, said detention means being releasable upon initial opening movement of the valve to reduce the force opposing opening movement of the valve.

11. A relief valve assembly comprising, a body having an inlet port and a relief port, a valve mounted in the body and movable to positions to close or open said -ports, means normally holding the valve closed but iyieldable to allow, With decreasing resistance, the opening of the valve under the influence of the pressureof fluid through the inlet port said means including a series of coil springs arranged in angular relation to the line of axial movement :of the valve and being operable to apply aprogressively increasing force to thevalve as the valve moves toward closed position, and detention means for detaining the valve in opened or closed position, said detention means being releasable, upon initial movement of the valve, effective to cause a proportionate instantaneous drop in the force opposing opening movement of the valve.

12. A'pressure relief valve assembly comprising, a body having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a valve mounted within the body and movable to positions to close and open'the inlet and outlet and exposed to fluid pressure tending to open the valve when the valve is in closed position, sealing means within the body adapted to seal the valve :in closed position, means tending to hold the valve in closed position, a stem on the valve, an eXpansi-ble detention sleeve within the body around the stem, interengaging means between the sleeve and stem arranged to hold the valve closed but releasable under the influence of an increase of said pressure to disengage said inter-engaging means to permit the valve to open and means for limiting the opening movement of the valve. I

13. A pressure relief valve assembly'comprising, a body having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a valve mounted within the body and movable to positions to close and open the inlet and outlet and exposed to fluid pressure tending to open the valve whenv the valve is in closed position, sealing means within the body adapted to seal the valve when in closed position, means tending to hold the valve in closed position, a stem on the valve having an external frusto-conical face, a detention sleeve in fixed relation with the valve body and having an inside face engageable with said stem face to hold the valve in closed position, said sleeve being expansi-ble under the influence of the pressure thrustagainst the valve to permit release of said interengaging faces to thereby instantaneously release the valve to pernit the pressure thereagainst to move the valve into open position and means for limting the opening movement of the valve.

14. A pressure relief valve assembly comprising, a body having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a valve mounted within the body and movable to positions to close and open the inlet and outlet and being exposed to fluid pressure tending to open the valve when the valve is in closed position, sealing means within the body adapted to seal the valve in closed position, a series of coil springs arranged in angular relation to the axial 11I1e movement of the valve and connected at their mner ends to the valve and at their outer ends to anchoring means on the body said springs normally tending to hold the valve closed but which resist the opening movement of the valve with progressively decreasing force.

ROBERT B. KINZBACH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Pallett May 21, 1872 Wilder Oct. 14, 1884 Lacy Mar. 31, 1891 I-Ioxie June 12, 1906 Bither Aug. 3, 1909 Meserue Oct. 1, 1929 Number 10 Name Date Clapp July '22, 1930 Brecht Oct. 6, 1931 Kelsey Nov. 24, 1931 Johnson Aug. 22, 1939 Smirl Nov. 18, 1941 Curtis Jan. 6, 1942 Schlosser Sept. 1, 1942 Davis Oct. 20, 1942 Trautman June 1, 1943 Nutt July 27, 1943 Fawkes Oct. 26, 1943 smith Oct. 17, 1944 Norton Apr. 3, 1951 Firth Nov. 6, 1951 

